“The Sun don’t shine forever but as long as it’s here then we might as well shine together. Better now than never.”
I wonder if LeBron James had those lyrics on his mind as he made his choice.
It’s official, the Miami Heat have managed to pull off the biggest coup in free agency history. Just moments ago LeBron James agreed to become a member of what is now poised to be a potential NBA dynasty.
LeBron showed that winning championships is more important to him than money or his hometown. By agreeing to terms with Miami, James has catapulted the Heat to the forefront of favorites to win next years NBA Finals.
In his wake LeBron leaves behind a shattered and distraught Cavaliers franchise along with the only home he has ever known. While the temptation to join Wade and Bosh in Miami proved to be too strong, rest assured that James’ decision was not an easy one. You don’t always get to live your life with your high school sweet heart, but it doesn’t mean you stop loving or forget them.
Even though he is leaving a state that has embraced him from the start and worshipped him throughout his first seven seasons in the league, LeBron will always consider Akron home. Still it was these same fans that booed him during the Boston series. That more than anything may have sealed the deal in Bron’s mind about leaving.
Now the questions will turn from “Where is he going?” to “Can it work?”. Every pundit and analyst will break down how the Heat have no depth or how the chemistry won’t work. All that will occur before our eyes during the course of the next year. Still for now it’s time to fiesta in Miami.
Pat Riley did it he proved to be the biggest genius in league history. These three signings change everything in the NBA. In less than 48 hours he managed to turn the basketball world upside down by landing three of the NBA’s top 10-15 players. Now he must set about insuring that he sets a proper course for that promise land he painted for them.
The Heat now go from a team that was worrying about retaining their only star to having a constellation of them. The bar will be set as high as it can go, with nothing less than hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy at seasons end being sufficient.
A Lakers-Heat series would make for an epic match-up, but to get to that point Miami must first round out a roster capable of helping the three “Super Friends”. Then they have to go through a season in which every team will be gunning for Miami. After that “Public Enemy” number one would have to get past Eastern Conference foes such as Boston, Orlando, and Chicago. Ultimately if all that falls into place we will get to witness one of the most anticipated showdowns in league history with the soon to be announced Christmas day game serving as an appetizer.
South Florida fans must feel like they are walking on air right now—and rightfully so. They now have the single biggest star athlete they have arguably ever had in Miami. Several years back the state of Ohio along with a horrible referee (Terry Porter) robbed Miami of an NCAA football crown. Now Miami has struck back at Ohio by taking their King along with his entire court, jesters and all.
Into the great wide open we will all be witness to how this unfolds. One thing that is for sure is that it will be an exciting ride, at least for Heat fans. James will arrive in Miami to a swarming crowd of new supporters. Who knows how long the honeymoon will last? But for now LeBron will be greeted as the “chosen one”. The only way he could make the people of Miami any happier is if he managed to stop the Gulf oil spill and liberate Cuba during the next week.